Iowa Marriage Records

Marriage Records in Iowa

Marriage records contain basic information about the married couple and their marriage.  This information includes the names of the two individuals, the date of the marriage, and the place of marriage.  Some marriage records will also include the names of the mothers and fathers of the couple.  Additionally, some records contain the names of the official witnesses to the marriage.  Some governmental marriage records contain the maiden names of the mothers of the married couple as well as the place of residence of the married couple.

A marriage record should not be confused with a marriage license, a marriage announcement, or a marriage index.  The marriage license is the legal document that was issued to the couple that was married.  The marriage announcement is the public listing of the wedding, in most cases, in a published newspaper.

A marriage index is simply a list of the marriages within a specific location.  Typically, such an index includes the names of the bride and groom, the date of the marriage, the name of the county in which the marriage occurred, and either the file number of the license or the volume and page name for a register listing as well as the location of the marriage record. 

In Iowa, marriage records can be obtained by any one of three different methods including by telephone, in person, or by postal mail.  In Iowa, the requestor of any vital records must either sign their name in the presence of an Iowa Registrar of Vital Records or a notary public.  Iowa requires additional identifying information on you as well.  Therefore, you need to include a copy of your current government issued photo identification, such as your driver�s license ID.

To apply for a copy of a marriage record by phone contact the following telephone number: 515-281-4944 between the hours of 7 A.M. and 4:45 P. M. on Mondays through Fridays.  The office is closed on state holidays.  This is a recorded message that provides details concerning the different methods by which you can obtain vital records in Iowa.

In order to make your request by phone, you will need to pay by credit card.  Credit cards that are currently being accepted include Visa, American Express, Discover, and MasterCard.  An additional charge of $5.50 will be added to the cost of $15.00 for the record retrieval and copy. 

If you choose the credit cad option when you call, then you will be connected with a live operator.  You will receive instructions on the exact procedure to follow to complete your request.  Due to circumstances, you can expect to wait at least twenty minutes for your call to be taken.  Additionally, it may take up to three weeks for a request to be completely processed. 

In order to make your request in person, you must visit the state vital records office between the hours of 7 A.M. and 4:45 P. M. on Mondays through Fridays.  The office is closed on state holidays.

The address is:

Iowa Department of Public Health
Bureau of Health Statistics
Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075

You will be required to provide a completed application,  a copy of your current government issued photo identification, payment, and your signature.  The records will either be mailed to an entitled person including an individual named on the record, spouse, child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, or guardian.  The records can also be picked up within two days.

In order to make your request by mail, by sending a completed application to the following address :

Iowa Department of Public Health
Bureau of Health Statistics
Lucas State Office Building, 1st Floor
Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0075

Additionally, you will need to include the following with your completed application: a copy of your current government issued photo identification, payment, and your notarized signature.  Payments by check should be written to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Application forms can be acquired at the following link: http://www.idph.state.ia.us/eh/common/pdf/vital Adobe acrobat is required to download the form.
 

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